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Competition. Once the battery has gone bad and the user has decided that they are going to get a new phone to replace it, they are going to evaluate Apple's off

Competition. Once the battery has gone bad and the user has decided that they are going to get a new phone to replace it, they are going to evaluate Apple's offering against all other phones they can buy. If Apple's device doesn't look as compelling as Samsung's (or whatever), the person is apt to buy something else. But if the battery was working as well as it did when it was new, it is unlikely that the person would have started shopping in the first place. It is the catalyst that sees them move beyond "what I've got is good enough" to "this isn't serving my needs anymore".

tshaddox 2y ago
If there is meaningful competition in the smartphone market, and what you say about consumer preferences is true, then surely at least one competitor would make a user-replaceable battery and capture what is supposedly the vast majority of the market.
- randomdata 2y ago
  If what I say is true, the people are still apt to buy a new phone instead of a new battery. As before, once you've overcome the friction of having to buy something new, you're going to evaluate all the options. But let's assume what the OP says is true. It is still not clear why anyone would do what you suggest? The investment required to be that player would be intense and knowing that you only have one product lifecycle to recoup it... Highly unlikely anyone is that daring. Competition sees players seek to be the winner, not the first loser.
  - tshaddox 2y ago
    I’m pretty sure there would be plenty of players willing to make the investment necessary to capture the majority of the iPhone market even for only a couple of years.
    - randomdata 2y ago
      Apple sells around 200 million model year units at a profit of around $400 per device. That's $80 billion in potential profit, less R&D costs. You think you can build something at least as compelling as the iPhone from the ground up for less than $80 billion? Apple is spending $30 billion on R&D a year just to improve what they already have! Good luck... And you only get one year to capitalize on that investment, more or less. By year two, without even more investment, the competition will have you smoked with their latest offerings. You might not even get a whole year if they see you as a credible threat. Nothing says the iPhone must be released on a yearly schedule.

tshaddox 2y ago

If there is meaningful competition in the smartphone market, and what you say about consumer preferences is true, then surely at least one competitor would make a user-replaceable battery and capture what is supposedly the vast majority of the market.

randomdata 2y ago
If what I say is true, the people are still apt to buy a new phone instead of a new battery. As before, once you've overcome the friction of having to buy something new, you're going to evaluate all the options. But let's assume what the OP says is true. It is still not clear why anyone would do what you suggest? The investment required to be that player would be intense and knowing that you only have one product lifecycle to recoup it... Highly unlikely anyone is that daring. Competition sees players seek to be the winner, not the first loser.
- tshaddox 2y ago
  I’m pretty sure there would be plenty of players willing to make the investment necessary to capture the majority of the iPhone market even for only a couple of years.
  - randomdata 2y ago
    Apple sells around 200 million model year units at a profit of around $400 per device. That's $80 billion in potential profit, less R&D costs. You think you can build something at least as compelling as the iPhone from the ground up for less than $80 billion? Apple is spending $30 billion on R&D a year just to improve what they already have! Good luck... And you only get one year to capitalize on that investment, more or less. By year two, without even more investment, the competition will have you smoked with their latest offerings. You might not even get a whole year if they see you as a credible threat. Nothing says the iPhone must be released on a yearly schedule.